When Mohamed Salah stepped up to score the 95th-minute penalty against Congo, Egyptian football fans went into a joyous frenzy. It was the first time the Pharaohs had qualified for the World Cup finals since 1990.
Liverpool star Salah scored the last-gasp spot kick to seal the 2-1 victory over Congo. Fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate with the players.
Salah had given Egypt the lead after 63 minutes but the home crowd was silenced when Arnold Bouka-Moutou equalised for Congo after 88 minutes.
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But when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick in added time, Salah kept his cool before reeling away in celebration.
After the game, thousands of supporters lined the streets of Cairo, setting off fireworks and flares to honour the victorious team.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the celebrations and called the team’s achievement “heroic”.
On social media, the president said: “I would like to pay tribute to the national team for their heroic performance and qualifying to the World Cup.
“I also congratulate the Egyptian people on this victory, which was achieved after their ever-growing cheers and chanting ‘Long live Egypt’.”
Al Arabiya reports that al-Sisi will reward each player with a bonus of 1.5 million Egyptian pounds (£64,400) for qualifying for next year’s finals in Russia.
Fans were reduced to tears when Salah netted his penalty. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:
Downtown Cairo was at a standstill
Scenes of joy in Tahrir Square in Cairo
International football is not dead says Ball Street
Happy vibes across the country
A big goal in a big game...
How the scoring went
